Plan your visit
The Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall and Purcell Room at the Southbank Centre are now open as usual. The Hayward Gallery is currently closed.
Covid-19 safety measures
In light of the recent government guidance and information on Covid-19, the Southbank Centre has introduced additional precautions for visitors. We want to ensure that we’re doing all we can to help keep our audiences, staff and artists safe at this time.
Face coverings are currently required for entry to our buildings.
Face coverings must be worn throughout your visit, including during performances and in our galleries, shops and foyers. The only exceptions to this are for those who are exempt from wearing face coverings, children under the age of 11, and when you are eating and drinking.
If you arrive at the Southbank Centre without a face covering, our Visitor Experience team will be happy to provide you with one. If you are exempt from wearing a face covering, please advise a member of the team upon arrival.
In order to enter our buildings, all visitors over the age of 18 should arrive prepared to present an NHS Covid Pass or equivalent.
Doing so is easy and can be done in one of the following ways:
- Proof of double vaccination
Status provided by Covid Pass via the NHS App or NHS website, letter via the NHS website or by calling 119, or a vaccine card and photo ID, or internationally recognised equivalent.
Or
- Documentation to prove a negative PCR or lateral flow test has been taken within 48 hours of your visit to the Southbank Centre
Status provided by Covid Pass via the NHS App or NHS website, or confirmation email and/or text message via the NHS self-report tool or by calling 119.
If you have any Covid-19 symptoms or have been told to isolate, please stay at home. For ticket holders in these circumstances, please get in touch with our Ticket Office at least two hours before the event at [email protected]
These arrangements will be reviewed on an ongoing basis, in line with government advice.
If you have a ticket to an upcoming event and are unable to comply with these requirements, please contact our Ticket Office on [email protected]
Thank you for your continued support. We look forward to safely welcoming you to the Southbank Centre soon.
Visitor info
Here's what you need to know before you visit.
Our measures
In light of the recent government guidance and information on Covid-19, measures we’ve introduced so far include:
- All visitors to our buildings over the age of 18 should arrive prepared to show an NHS Covid Pass or equivalent.
- Face coverings are required for entry to our buildings, and must be worn throughout your visit, including during performances and in our galleries, shops and foyers. The only exceptions to this are for those who are exempt from wearing face coverings, children under the age of 11, and when you are eating and drinking.
- Please use the hand sanitiser stations, which are located around the foyers.
- We conduct regular and thorough cleaning of touch points.
- 100% fresh air flows throughout our venues and we conduct regular CO2 readings.
We’re sorry for any inconvenience caused by the decisions we’ve taken to ensure the safety of our audiences, visitors, staff and artists. We’ll continue to review and manage any risks and respond to any changes in the guidance, keeping our staff trained and up to date as we go.
Thank you for your continued support. We look forward to safely welcoming you to the Southbank Centre soon.
Face covering exemptions
Please advise a member of the team upon arrival if you are unable to wear a face covering, for example if:
- You are a child under the age of 11
- You can't put on, wear or remove it because of a physical or mental illness, impairment or disability
- Putting on, wearing or removing it will cause you severe distress
- You are providing assistance to someone who relies on lip reading to communicate
Keep others safe
Please, stay at home if you have symptoms of illness such as a cough, sore throat or fever or have tested positive for coronavirus. In this instance, get in touch with the Ticket Office at least 24 hours ahead of the performance for information on returns.
Our address is: Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XX.
- The nearest tube and train stations within 5 – 7 minutes walk are Waterloo (Northern, Bakerloo, Jubilee and Waterloo & City lines) and Embankment (District & Circle lines).
- There are also lots of bus routes with stops 2 – 5 minutes from our venues.
For more information on getting here by road, rail or river:
Pre-booking online is recommended. Check our website on the day for returns.
There’s no need to print your e-ticket – just show your phone to our Visitor Assistants on entry.
Some free events don't require a pre-booked ticket. Found an event labelled FREE on our website with no way to book? Simply turn up on the day.
If you don't receive your e-ticket
Check your spam folder for an email from [email protected] If you don’t receive your e-ticket within a few hours of booking, please get in touch.
Returns and exchanges
Tickets can be returned for a Credit Voucher, or can be exchanged for another performance if they are received by the Ticket Office at least 48 hours before the performance.
Please, stay at home if you have symptoms of illness such as a cough, sore throat or fever or have tested positive for coronavirus. In this instance, get in touch with the Ticket Office at least 24 hours ahead of the performance for information on returns.
Toilets
Toilets, including accessible toilets, are open on Level 2 of the Royal Festival Hall.
Cloakroom
The Royal Festival Hall cloakroom, situated on Level 1, is accessed via steps or platform lift from the Southbank Centre Square doors. It opens around 60 minutes before the start of any Royal Festival Hall show, and closes around 15 minutes after the performance ends.
The charge is £1 per item, which must be collected on the same day they are stored. Items left here are at the owner’s risk and we cannot accept any responsibility for loss or damage, from any cause, to items left in the cloakroom.
We're cash-free
Please note that we're unable to accept cash payments across our site.
There may be short queues to enter our buildings, events and exhibitions. If you are not able to queue or need further assistance, our Visitor Assistants are here to help you.
We welcome wheelchair users and guide companion dogs.
More about Access & facilities
Our Access Scheme
If you have any access requirements, please sign up to our Access Scheme for discounts, wheelchair spaces, dedicated seats and free companion tickets. You can also join our mailing list to get news about accessible events and exhibitions.
Entering the Royal Festival Hall
For level access to the Royal Festival Hall, please use the external lift near the Artists' Entrance on Southbank Centre Square, Belvedere Road, to Level 2, and enter via Riverside Terrace. All floors are accessible from the main foyer.
Parking
Blue Badge holders and those with access requirements can be dropped off on the Queen Elizabeth Hall Slip Road off Belvedere Road (the road between the Royal Festival Hall and the Hayward Gallery).
There are four Blue Badge parking spaces available for visitors located on the Queen Elizabeth Hall Slip Road. Spaces are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, and are free to use. You must display your Blue Badge as you enter the site. Vehicles that do not display a Blue Badge are refused entry.
Blue Badge parking at National Theatre
Alternative parking for Blue Badge holders visiting the Southbank Centre can be found at the National Theatre car park (330 metres). If you are visiting the Hayward Gallery, just take your badge and car park ticket to the Ticket Desk in the gallery foyer for validation before you leave.
Please note: on Sunday when the National Theatre building is closed there is no step-free access from the car park.
Alternative parking is available nearby at the APCOA Cornwall Road Car Park (490 metres), subject to charges.
Blue Badge parking at APCOA Cornwall Road
Alternative parking for Blue Badge holders visiting the Southbank Centre can also be found at the South Bank Car Park – APCOA Cornwall Road Car Park. Just take your badge and car park ticket to the parking attendant office at the entrance to the car park for validation before you leave.
A drop-off point at the Royal Festival Hall (30 metres) has been created for visitors who are unable to walk from alternative car parks.
A selection of the restaurants and cafes on our site and the Southbank Centre Street Food market are now open.
Your privacy and NHS Test and Trace
If you visit us when our venues reopen, we will collect your data and some information about you so that we can take part in the NHS Test and Trace service and help prevent the spread of Covid-19. The government has asked organisations to do this in order to keep our visitors and employees safe.
We're happy to help with any questions you might have